


Jane's Tale [ON HOLD]

by AnorakTheAllKnowing (orphan_account)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016), The Handmaid's Tale (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2019-10-22 20:38:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17669681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AnorakTheAllKnowing
Summary: Gilead, a totalitarian society in what used to be the United States. Gilead is ruled by a fundamentalist regime that treats women as property. One of these women, Jane, is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find her daughter who was separated from her.





	1. Chapter 1

A woman and a young child hide under a fallen tree in a forest near the Canadian border, both of them terrified. The woman turns to look at the child, "I'm going to distract them," she whispers, "Once it's clear, I want you to run, do you understand?"

The child looks at her like she's crazy, "What? No I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to," the woman takes off her backpack, reaches in, pulls out a map, and a Canadian passport, "You take these, and you get into Canada, once you're in you'll be safe I promise."

"We're supposed to go together!"

"This is not a discussion you will do what I say!"

"You're not leaving me on my own-"

"Listen!" She says grabbing her arms, "Only one of us is going to make it, and there is no way I'm letting be me instead of you, you will be safe, and I promise I will find you, I. Will. Find you."

The young girl's eyes begin to well with tears, "I don't wanna go," she sobs, "I don't wanna leave you." The woman starts to look as if she might cry too, but she knows she needs to be strong. She pulls the girl into her arms and holds her tight, "I will find you. I will find you," she pulls away to look her in the eyes, "Be ready to run okay?" the girl nods.

The woman steps out from under the tree and into plain view, "Hey!" She shouts, "You want me I'm right here!"

"Get her men!" a voice shouts and the girl hears rustling sounds coming towards them. The woman looks at the girl one last time, "I love you," and then runs off. The girl sees a group of men with guns running past her hiding spot to chase down the woman. After they disappear out of sight, she follows the instructions given to her, and runs.

The woman looks behind to see her pursuers catching up, she knows she won't outrun them, but she can at least lead them far enough away from the girl so she can make her escape.

She runs out of the trees and onto the road where she is nearly run over by a car. It stops a few centimetres away from her, and before she has time to start running again, she is tackled to the ground by her one of pursuers, who grabs her arms and holds them behind her back, keeping her on the ground.

The driver of the car wisely decides to back up, and drive around the scene, disappearing into the distance.

"Were you trying to get yourself caught?" one of the soldiers laughs, "When you're being chased it's not exactly clever to give yourself away like that. Get her up," the soldier holding her down gets her to her feet.

"And what's your name beautiful?" the soldier asks, "Fuck you!" she fires back at him.

The soldier smirks, "Well it doesn't matter what your name is, you're property of Commander Brenner now," she spits in his face.

"You fucking bitch!" he raises his arm to backhand her, "Callahan!" a voice shouts, freezing him in place, "We do not mark potential Handmaids, you know what he does to Guardians who do that!" Callahan puts his arm down and backs off from the woman, "Sorry Sergeant."

The sergeant steps in front of the woman, "Our Commander likes to know the names of his Handmaids, so what is it?"

"Jane. Jane Wheeler."

The sergeant smiles, but there isn't any friendliness to it, "Can you conceive?"

She averts her eyes, "Yes," she knows there's no use in lying, they had ways of finding out the truth.

"Good."

"Sergeant?" Callahan asks, "There was a child with her should we let it go?"

The sergeant looks back at Jane, who is looking at him with pleading eyes, "No. Take Jefferson and Peters, find it and kill it," an evil smile grows on Callahan's face, "Yes Sergeant."

Jane struggles against her restrainer's grip, "No! Please!" she begs, "Please she's just a child!"

Callahan laughs, "Don't worry, she won't suffer… much."

Jane feels burning anger running through her veins, "You fucker! You touch her and I will kill you, I will fucking kill you ya hear me!"

"Bring me the anaesthetic gun," the sergeant orders, walking over to a soldier holding a silver gun.

"I will rip you to fucking pieces if you hurt her! I WILL YOU MAKE SUFF-" she gasps as the gun is pricked into her neck, administering the liquid into her body, causing her to lose consciousness within ten seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of four flashback chapters. These chapters will be written in italics to differentiate between past and present.

_Mike walks into the bedroom to see his wife still asleep. He walks over to her side of the bed and places cup of coffee on her bedside table. He sits down next to her on the bed and places his hand on bare back._

_"Jane?" he says nudging her slightly, "Jane you gotta get up."_

_Jane's eyes flutter open, and she smiles upon seeing her husband's face. "Morning handsome."_

_Mike smiles, "Morning beautiful."_

_"What time is it?" she asks rubbing her eyes._

_"It's nearly ten, you must have needed the sleep." he lightly taps her back, "Come on, let's get that beautiful ass out of bed."_

\---

  _Jane goes into their five year old daughter Chloe's bedroom and nudges her causing her to wake, "Morning sleepy head," she says smiling at her daughter's ridiculous bed hair._

_"Morning Mommy."_

_"Come on let's get you some breakfast," Jane picks her daughter up from her bed, "Goodness you're getting heavy."_

\---

_While Chloe eats her breakfast Mike and Jane watch a news report, "The terrorist organisation known as the 'Sons of Jacob' have committed two more attacks in both Chicago and Minneapolis. They recently released a statement warning the people of America that something special is coming very soon."_

_Jane watches in disgust, "What the hell is their problem?"_

_"I really don't know," Mike replies_

_"I mean they've been around five years and still haven't stated their motive for why they're doing this. It just seems like they're a bunch of trigger happy maniacs running around causing trouble."_

_"That's all any terrorist organisation is babe, even the ones with a motive, these guys are no different, they won't get anywhere with their goals, trust me."_


	3. Chapter 3

Jane's eyes flutter open. She still feels drowsy from the anaesthetic that had been administered. She sits up on the bed she's on and finds that she is wearing a white nightgown and is chained to the bed by her ankle.

"W-what's your n-name?" Jane turns her head to see another woman on the bed next to hers, also chained and wearing a nightgown.

"Jane. Jane Wheeler. What's yours?"

"J-jennifer Hayes." Jane can tell just by the way this woman is stuttering and the look on her face that she is even more terrified than her. "Where are we?" Jane asks looking at the dull coloured room, "The basement in the Red Centre, it's where they keep potential Handmaids after they get taken." Jennifer answers.

Jane then remembers her daughter, and her promise to find her. She looks over to Jennifer, her face set with determination. "We need to get out of here!" Jennifer's eyes widen and she shakes her head, "No we can't I've tried there is no way out!"

Just as Jennifer finishes her sentence, the metal door opens, and in walks a stern looking woman, flanked on either side by soldiers. "You two were taken by Guardians of Commander Martin Brenner, is this correct?" Both women nod. "Excellent. Guardians, you may take them."

The soldiers approach the beds and take out a key from their breast pocket. They place the key inside the shackles, twist them, and release the womens' ankles. They stand them up and hold their arms behind their backs, they then wrap a ziptie around their wrists, making sure they don't try anything.

Jane winces slightly at the tightening of the restraint, she looks over at Jennifer to see tears in her eyes. They are escorted out of the basement and into a completely white hallway, so white that's it's actually blinding. There are several doors on either wall, and the women are taken through the one at the end.

When they get inside they find six women dressed in what look like 1940s nurse outfits, standing next to two filled porcelain bathtubs that have been placed in the middle of the room. The soldiers take out small utility knives, and cut the zipties apart, taking care not to cut the womens' wrists.

"They're all yours." The soldiers then exit the room.

One of the nurses walks up to Jane and Jennifer, eying them before speaking, "Please remove your gowns and step into one of the tubs," she says in about as monotone a voice can get. Jane and Jennifer look at each other before taking off their gowns with what dignity they can muster, and step into the two tubs.

The nurses break off into two groups of three, three nurses for each tub, one to clean the hair, one to clean the hands and feet, and one to clean the arms, legs and body.

Once the women are clean, they are handed back their gowns. After they are dressed a nurse knocks on the door letting the soldiers know they are done. The soldiers enter, restrain the women with new pairs of zipties, and lead them up the stairs.

After going up a few levels, they go inside a bedroom which is very different to the basement. This looks like an actual bedroom, instead of a cell, this looks like a room a lord or royalty would sleep in. The wallpaper has these beautiful intricate patterns, there are two soft, king sized beds with canopies hanging over.

The women are once again released from their restraints, "You are to stay here until your transport arrives tomorrow, sleep well." The soldiers exit the room, leaving Jane and Jennifer alone.

Jennifer looks around in amazement, "This is beautiful."

"Don't!" Jane says sternly.

"What?"

"They kidnapped you and are forcing you into sexual slavery, if you have any self respect you will not praise them!"

Jennifer's eyes well with tears, "I'm sorry," she cries.

Jane sighs, "How are old are you Jennifer?"

"Nineteen."

That explains why she's so much more scared and more naive than I am, Jane thinks to herself.

Jane takes Jennifer by the hand and leads her over to one of the beds, she sits down with her on the end and takes her hands in hers. "Listen," she says in a gentle tone, "I know you're scared, I'm scared, but you need to be strong, I will get us out of here I promise you that."

Jennifer looks her in the eyes, "How is it you have so much fight in you?"

"Because you're young Jennifer, you may be nineteen but you haven't yet seen what life has to offer, I have. And when a person has seen it they fight, they fight because they don't to lose the wonderful things they have, and one of those things for me is my daughter, she is out there all alone, and is probably more scared then both of us. I made a promise that I find her and by God I am going to keep it, but I will not leave you, someone so young, to live through something that isn't a life. We're going to survive. Yes?"

Jennifer's face is filled with a determination that she didn't know she had in her, "Yeah," she smiles, "We're going to survive. We're going to fucking survive." Jane grins and laughs slightly, "That's the spirit."

She knew it was a hopeless situation, but she was going to try, not just for her daughter, but also for this scared young girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This story will be a mix of canon from the TV show and my own spin on things. Hope that doesn't upset handmaid fans too much.


	4. Chapter 4

_Jane is sleeping next to Mike when she hears a loud noise outside the window. "What was that?" She asks, "I don't know," says Mike, "I'll have a look." Mike gets up from the bed and moves towards the window. He opens the blinds and upon seeing what has happened his expression becomes one of shock and horror. "Oh my God."_

_"What is it?" Jane asks concerned. Mike turns to her, "It's the Capitol building."_

_"What?" She gets off the bed and is horrified to see the US Capitol building in flames. Her hand flies to her mouth, "Who did this?" All of a sudden a missile lands in the middle of the street, killing anyone that is still out. The blast shatters the window and pushes Mike and Jane to the floor._

_"Mommy!" They hear a voice scream. "Oh my God! Chloe!" Jane screams, getting up and running to her daughter's room. After bursting through the door she immediately cradles her crying child in her arms. "It's okay it's okay sshh," she says trying to calm her down, nearly succeeding until the sudden sound of machine gun fire scares her even more._

_Mike runs around their apartment closing all the blinds so no one sees them. He runs back into his and Jane's bedroom, goes to the bedside cabinet, opens the top draw and pulls out a loaded handgun. He goes into his daughter's room and holds out his hand, beckoning her to come with him. They run out of the room and towards the bathroom as another goes off outside. Once they get in, Mike locks the door._

_"Mike what are we doing in here?" Jane asks confused._

_"In case anyone comes in."_

_"I'm scared," Chloe says, her face pressed into Jane's shoulder. Jane strokes her hair, "I know baby, I know. It will be okay." Another explosion goes off and Jane and Mike look at each other, both doubting that it will be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane and Jennifer are woken by the sound of the door opening. They both sit up in their separate beds as two soldiers enter the room, "Your transport has arrived, time to go." They move to get the women off the beds, and once again, restrain their hands with a pair of zipties.

"Come on are these really necessary?" Jane asks.

"Yes." The soldier says plainly, he pulls hard on the restraint, causing Jane to wince at the pain.

The two women are taken out of the room, and down several flight of stairs, they reach the exit and step outside, the sunlight blinding them. Once their vision becomes normal, they see a truck, which they immediately know is meant for them.

Standing by the truck is the soldier that went after Jane's daughter. As soon as she sees him, a scowl is set on her face, one that is full of anger and hate. The soldier smiles and walks over to her, "Remember me?" He says, caressing her cheek. She leans her head away, not wanting this disgusting man to touch her. "Don't you put your hands on me."

The soldier smirks, "Still got a lot of fight in you. Your daughter really did take after you."

Jane's eyes go wide, "What?"

"Oh, nothing, just, she had a lot of fight in her as well, she fought till the end. Oh and we didn't make her suffer… much."

Jane's eyes well with tears, "What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!" The soldier steps away from her, "Let's get them on."

The women are moved towards the truck, Jennifer is easy to get on, but Jane struggles against her restrainer's hold, "You bastard!" She screams her eyes now completely wet, "She was a child! A fucking child! How could you what's wrong with you?!" She drops to her knees on the cold wet ground so she can't be moved, "I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!" The soldier that was with Jennifer comes out to assist. "Get off me! Get the fuck off me!" Eventually they get her in, they shut the doors and start the truck on it's twelve hour journey to Commander Brenner.

Jane weeps and howls, her cries sound primal and broken. "Jane," she looks up to see Jennifer, whose facial expression is one of both sadness and concern, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Jane tries her best to smile, "It's okay. It's not your fault."

Jennifer stands and walks over to Jane, nearly falling due to walking in a moving vehicle. She sits down next to her and lays her head on her shoulder. Jane reciprocates this by placing her head on the young girl's head.

"What did you before… all this?" Jennifer asks. Jane knows she's trying to take her mind off the horrifying revelation, but she goes along with it anyway. "I was a teacher. Taught third graders. They always seemed very fond of me, and I was always fond of children. It's why I wanted to teach them, that's why I wanted one. So when Mike was able to give me just that, it made my love for him grow even more. What about you? You do anything interesting before this?"

"I was in a choir. People always told me that I had the voice of an angel. I was never good at Math or Science or any of that, but singing, I loved it. I did a few performances at theatres, at events, people loved me, I didn't care about the offers that people in the music industry gave to me. I didn't do it for that, I did it for the fun, and because it made people happy. I can sing to you if you like?"

Jane smiles, "Yeah okay."

"Happy or sad?"

"Can you do a little bit of both?"

"Yeah."

"Do that." Jennifer spends a few seconds thinking of a song, after she has chosen, she begins, "Here I go out to sea again, the sunshine fills my hair, and dreams hang in the air."

Jane smiles, she really does have the voice of an angel, she thinks to herself.

"Gulls in the sky and in my blue eyes, you know it feels unfair, there's magic everywhere."

Jane relaxes and closes her eyes, listening to Jennifer's soft voice.

"Looking at me standing, here on my own again, up straight in the sunshine, no need to run and hide, it's a wonderful wonderful life, no need to laugh and cry, it's a wonderful wonderful life."


	6. Chapter 6

_Jane wakes up with her daughter in her arms, still sitting in the bathroom. She looks up and sees Mike sitting across from her, gun in hand._

_She puts down her daughter and exits the bathroom. She moves to the window and looks to see destruction and bodies on the street, and the Capitol building in ruins. "Mommy?" A small sleepy voice says. Jane heads back into the bathroom and sits down by her daughter, "It's okay baby I'm here, I'm here." Mike wakes up at the sound of his wife's voice, when he says both her and their daughter safe, he smiles._

_"You two okay?" he asks, "Yeah, we're okay."_

_"Good." He sighs, "We can't stay here. It's not safe."_

_\---_

_After the three of them have gotten changed, they prepare to leave, but not before Jane gets down to look her daughter in the eyes, "Listen, when we go out there, I want you to keep your eyes shut, and when we get in the car, I want to keep this blanket over you, and these headphones on till we leave the city_ _," she holds up the blanket and headphones in question, "can you do that for me?"_

_"Yes Mommy."_

_"Good girl." She picks her up and looks at Mike, "Let's go." He nods in response and opens, walking out in front of Jane and Chloe with his gun at the ready._

_\---_

_The three of them get outside the building and onto the street, making their way to their car. They get in, start the car, and begin their search for a way out of the city._

_Jane fiddles with the radio, looking for any signal, but finds none. "Great. No radio." Mike slams on the brakes after catching sight of a road block of cars with several armed men on the road that leads out of the city. "They haven't heard us," Jane says, "Let's go back and find another way."_

_"Jane, think about this, if they've blocked off this way, they've probably blocked off the others."_

_"Shit. Well what do we do?"_

_Mike sighs, "We're gonna have to drive straight through them."_

_"Seriously?"_

_"I haven't got any other suggestions, have you?"_

_"Alright." Jane takes her seatbelt and climbs in the back next to her daughter. She pulls off the blanket and the headphones, "Baby, I need to trust me okay? I need you to lie down on the seat, when you do I'm gonna lie down on top of you, there's gonna be a loud scary noise but it'll only last a few seconds."_

_"What's going on?"_

_"Just lie down okay lie down."_

_Chloe nervously takes off her seatbelt and lays across the seats, Jane gets on top and pulls the blanket over them, looking at her husband one last time before going under, "Do it." Mike nods and shifts the car into gear, and slams his foot on the accelerator._

_The soldiers turn at the sound of the car engine, Mike leans over sideways so his head isn't in the line of fire. "Take it out!" The soldiers fire their guns at the car, Chloe screams at the sound, "Mike!" Jane shouts, "Hold on!" He smashes through the makeshift roadblock and drives away from the soldiers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more.


	7. Chapter 7

Jane and Jennifer are woken by the sudden stop of the truck. The doors are pulled open and the soldiers enter, taking the women by their arms and lifting them up. "Welcome to your new home," the soldier Callahan says with enthusiasm. He looks at Jane and gives her a smug grin, but gets nothing from her in response, all fight has been drained from her.

They are taken out from the truck and through the woods to a large mansion, no doubt the home of Commander Brenner. They are led in through the doors and their eyes take in the beautiful home. They are taken upstairs to a door, Callahan knocks and a voice gives permission for them to enter. They walk in and place the two women in the middle of the room, their eyes fall upon a man sitting at a desk writing.

"You new Handmaids are here sir."

The man sitting at the desk stops writing and puts down his pen, he flexes his fingers before standing and facing Jane and Jennifer. What the two women see is a well dressed, polite looking man with perfect white hair. He approaches the women and speaks, "I'm going to assume you know who I am by now?"

They say nothing.

"Well?"

"Yes, sir," they both say in unison.

"You know why you are here?"

"Yes, sir."

He smiles, "No need to address me as sir. You two are not servants, you are both serving a greater purpose, you will address me as Martin. Yes?"

"Yes, Martin."

"Very good."

He moves to stand directly in front of Jane, "Which one are you? Jane Wheeler or Jennifer Hayes?"

"J-jane Wheeler," she says not looking him in the eyes.

He then moves to Jennifer, "That makes you Jennifer Hayes then?"

"Y-yes, Martin."

"Alright then, that's all. Men, you take them to the dressing room, and uh, lose the restraints, they're not prisoners."

Sure feels like we are, Jane thinks.

\---

In the dressing room Jane and Jennifer are put into long red dresses and have their hair tied and covered by white caps. After they are dressed they taken to a large room, in the center five beds have been arranged in a circle, three of which are occupied by other Handmaids.

Jane looks over at Jennifer, and sees that she is shaking. "Are you okay?" she asks, "Yeah I'm just, scared."

Jane holds out her hand to her, and she takes it, "Come on," she says taking over to the circle of beds, sitting on ones next to each other. "You wanna survive?" They both look at the woman next to them, who is staring at floor like all life has been drained from her, "Do and say as much and as little as possible."

"What's you're name?" Jane asks.

The woman keeps staring at the floor, "Max, my name is Max."

"Has he already gotten a child from you yet?"

"Yes. He wants five children. One from each of us. You two are four and five."

"What will happen to us after he's gotten his five?"

"We stay to help raise them for a while, and then get sent off to another Commander. In their eyes, you're not a person, you're just breeding stock, something to throw away once their done with it."

Max finally moves her eyes to Jane and Jennifer, "What are your names?"

I'm Jane, this is Jennifer."

Max nods and points to the two other women in the room, "That's Joyce, and that's Kali."

Jane looks at the two women, both of whom also look broken.

"They've also had children for him, you two are next."

Jennifer then begins crying, and Jane moves onto her bed and wraps her arms around her.

Max scoffs, "Crying, really? You think that's gonna help you? Pathetic."

"Hey," Jane warns, "She's only nineteen okay leave her alone, she's too young for this."

"Nineteen! Well let me tell you something honey, you gonna have to grow up, because this shit, this is the kind of shit that requires you to quit being a fucking baby!"

Jane stands from the bed, "Leave her alone," she says with her teeth clenched.

Max also stands, "Or what?! What are you going to do?!"

"Do you wanna find out?!" Jane's face is only inches away Max's.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Joyce says from her spot at the window, "We're in this situation together, and the last thing we need is us tearing each other apart before we've even gotten to know each other!"

Jane and Max give each other one last dirty look before going to their separate beds.

\---

Jane shoots up in bed, panting after having a nightmare. She looks around, making sure she hasn't woken up the others, and after seeing that she hasn't, she runs to the bedroom's bathroom that Joyce showed her and Jennifer earlier.

She gets in, closes the door and heaves into the toilet. After she's finished, she on the edge of the bath, puts her head in her hands, and cries.

"I'm sorry Mike, I'm so sorry, she's gone, I couldn't do it without you, I couldn't keep her safe, I'm so so sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last flashback chapter.

_6 months later…_

_Mike pulls up outside a house a cabin in the woods. The family exit the car and cautiously approach the house, when they reach the door, Mike pulls out his gun and throws the entrance open. When he sees that no one is home he lowers the weapons, and gestures for Jane and Chloe to come in, "Grab essentials only, and grab plenty, cause this is the last time we're stopping before the border."_

_The family spend the next few minutes getting what they need. They move to exit the cabin, but are stopped when three military vehicles pull up next to the car, and with the door wide open, the three of them are completely visible._

_"There's a woman!"_

_"Get her!"_

_"Run!" Mike orders, and the three of them run out the back door. They are pursued deep into the woods, eventually hide behind a large tree._

_Mike looks at Jane with a sad expression, "You need to go," he whispers._

_"What?"_

_"I can keep them busy, you take Chloe and you run, you run as fast as you can."_

_"Mike no-"_

_Mike takes her face in his hands, "Listen to me, when I married you, I made you a promise, a promise to protect both you, and our child, and I will not let them take you, you hear me?"_

_Jane's eyes well with tears, "Please. Please don't do this."_

_"Jane, you need you trust me, and do as I say, please."_

_She gives in and nods her head, Mike pulls her into his arms, "I love you so much," he says._

_"I love you too." He pulls away to look at his daughter, "I love you so much little one," he holds his child in a quick embrace._

_"Alright, go." Jane nods and looks at Chloe, "Come on," and they both set off._

_The soldiers turn at the sound of quick footsteps, "There she is!" Mike walks out from behind the tree and starts shooting at the soldiers, letting off shot after shot. Eventually, one of the soldiers shoots him in the leg, dropping him to the ground. Another shoots him in the side._

_"Ain't so tough now huh?" a soldier asks as he approaches Mike's immobilised body._

_"Fuck you!" Mike swings his arm around and lets off what he knows will be his last shot, and it splits open the soldier's head open, killing him._

_Mike closes his eyes, "I love you Jane," he says for the last time before his body is riddled with machine gun bullets._

_\---_

_Jane and Chloe hide underneath a large, fallen tree. Jane sighs, she knows what she has to do to make sure her daughter is safe, she knows they won't outrun the fast, athletic soldiers, she knows only one of them will escape, and she would rather die than let it be her over her daughter._

_She turns to look at her, "I'm going to distract them."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day Jane sits by the window, her head against the glass.

"It's Jane isn't?" A voice draws her attention away from the window, "Uh yeah, yeah that's me."

"I'm Joyce. May I sit?"

"Be my guest."

Joyce smiles and sits next to her on the large windowsill, "Sorry about Max. She can be a bit aggressive."

Jane scoffs, "You don't say."

"It's not her fault, she's lost a lot, we all have, have you?"

Jane furrows her brow in confusion, "Why are you asking me this? I don't even know you."

"Yes but I was thinking-"

"Well you can stop thinking it," her gaze goes back to the window.

"You're right I'm, I'm sorry." Joyce says, dipping her head.

Jane sighs, "Husband and child," her gaze still fixed on the window, "I lost my husband and child."

Joyce lifts her head, "I'm sorry."

Jane's gaze once again fixes on Joyce, "Last night, Max said that after we give birth, we stay with the baby for a while, how long is a while?"

"Until they turn one. Max said we look after them but all we really do is breastfeed them."

"How are old are the ones you guys have had?"

"Only a month, next week it'll be yours and Jennifer's turn."

"Why is this Brenner guy waiting a week?"

"He likes to have us be conceived on dates that are important to him. The two next week are his birthday, and his late mother's birthday."

The doors to their room open, waking up the other three women.

Two soldiers step into the room, "Jane Wheeler, come with us."

\---

Jane is left in a room by herself. She stands nervous, she knows she must be in for something bad.

Jane drops to the floor when a foot hits the back of her leg. She tries to push herself up but is stopped and held down. Her arms are pinned behind her back and tied.

"Hello beautiful," those words make her blood boil.

"Fuck. You."

Callahan smiles, "Let's see if you say that after this."

He unbuttons the back of her dress, exposing her bare upper back.

"What are you doing?!" She tries to look but her head is pushed onto the floor, "Eyes on the floor."

After a few seconds of silence, she hears the sound of a blowtorch being turned. Her eyes widen with fear.

"No no no no please don't!"

She starts squirming, but Callahan keeps her in place.

"Please please don't do this!"

"This is going to make sure you don't fight anymore!"

Jane seals her eyes shut, preparing for the pain.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" She squeals when the flame touches her back.

"STOP!" Tears runs down her face, "PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU STOP! I'M SORRY!"

After what feels like hours, the torture is finished, and her spirit is completely destroyed. After losing her daughter all desire to escape had gone, and now all desire to fight has gone. They have finally done it. They have broken her.

"This is what happens when Handmaids aren't obedient! You will not disrespect me, or any Guardian again. Commander Brenner gave me the permission to do this, he won't hestitate to give it a second time. Are we finally at an understanding?"

"Yes," Jane says in a sad and choked voice.

"Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more


	10. Chapter 10

3 days later…

Jane and the other handmaids are at the grocery store in the nearby town, helping Brenner's wife with her shopping, which isn't easy when she absolutely hates your existence.

It's been three days since Jane got her branding, and she hasn't stepped out of line once, terrified of it happening once again. Even more so after they took her out again to threaten her with doing it to the other women as well. Despite the fact that Jane didn't know them well, apart from Jennifer, she wasn't going to let them pay for her disobedience, especially not Jennifer.

"Jane?" She turns at hearing her name, "You okay?" Jennifer asks.

Jane gives a fake smile, "Yeah I'm okay."

"Excuse me?" The two women turn to see one of Brenner's guardians approaching them. This one however looks to be in his twenties, younger than the others and doesn't look like he wants any part in this.

"We weren't doing anything!" Jennifer says quickly.

"It's okay," the man says reassuringly, "I'm not here to punish you, I'm here to help you."

"How?" Jane asks distrustfully.

"I don't want any part in this, but no where near as much as you guys, so I want to help you get out of this."

Jane and Jennifer both look shocked, why is he helping us?

"Underneath the house there's a service tunnel that goes for 50 miles, if you tell the other handmaids, I'll tell you the rest of the plan."

The man looks behind him, "We need to go, they're gonna get suspicious."

"Wait," Jane says, "Who are you? And why are you helping us?"

"I'm Dustin, and I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you like this story and want more


	11. Chapter 11

_"Hey! You want me I'm right here!"_

_"Get her men!"_

_Jane looks at her daughter, possibly for the last time, "I love you," and then runs off. Once it is clear, Chloe gets out from her hiding place and runs as fast as her five year old legs can move. After running for several minutes, she stops, sits by a tree, and cries._

_"I wanna… I wanna go home, I wanna go home."_

_She looks back the way she came, "Don't leave me alone Mommy, please don't leave me alone," and that's when she sees them, the soldiers coming for her. She quickly ducks down out of sight, hoping that they didn't see her._

_They stop near her hiding spot and look around_ _exasperated._

_"She's gone Callahan."_

_"No she can't be, we keep searching."_

_"She's probably headed down the road by now we'll never see her again."_

_"Do you know the kind of humiliation we'll get from the sergeant if he knows we let a little girl get away from us?"_

_"Yes I do, which is why I'm going to suggest we lie."_

_The other soldiers look at him._

_"I'm listening," Callahan says intrigued._

_"We say that we killed her, and that we did it without bullets so it wouldn't be over quickly."_

_Callahan smiles, "Alright, we'll do it your way, come on men."_

_They walk away. After a little while, Chloe moves from her hiding spot, and carries on running._

_Eventually, she runs onto the road, and is nearly hit by a van, but it stops just before it hits her. A teenage boy gets out and approaches her, she holds her hands out in front of her, "Please don't hurt me please don't hurt me!"_

_"It's okay," the boy stops, "I'm not going to hurt you," he says reassuringly._

_Chloe lowers her arms, "Promise?"_

_He smiles, "I promise," he kneels down so he is at her level, "What's your name?"_

_"Chloe."_

_"Hello Chloe, I'm Will, Will Byers. What are doing out here?"_

_"Trying to get to Canada."_

_"By yourself?"_

_"I was with my mommy and daddy, but my daddy's dead, and my mommy's been taken," she looks down sadly._

_"I'm sorry kid, I know how you feel, my girlfriend got taken as well."_

_"Who is your girlfriend?" she asks now looking back up._

_"Her name's Jennifer Hayes, who are your parents?"_

_"Mike Wheeler and Jane Wheeler."_

_Will nods, "Listen, I'm heading to Canada too, and if you want, I can take you with me, you'd get there a lot faster then you would on foot."_

_Chloe looks unsure, "I don't know."_

_"I don't blame you for mistrusting me, but I don't want to leave a little kid all by them self."_

_After giving it a moment consideration, Chloe looks Will in the eyes, "Okay, I'll go with you."_

_Will smiles, "Alright then."_


End file.
